Inter Milan got their first taste of Liverpool's intensity in the UEFA Champions League.
Once Mac Allister came on, the protection provided by Liverpool's two defensive midfielders gave Leo the freedom to attack without hesitation.
Vidal simply couldn't contain him by himself, forcing Brozović to help out. That left Çalhanoğlu as Inter's only midfielder with the freedom to push forward, with Leo and Çalhanoğlu each orchestrating their respective team's attacks.
In the 68th minute!
"Mac Allister drops back and cuts off Dumfries. Dumfries lays it off to Çalhanoğlu, and Inter attack down the right side of midfield."
"Through ball. Brilliant run from Džeko!"
Džeko was usually more inclined to create chances for Lautaro Martínez, but this time he suddenly peeled away from Konaté behind him and made a completely different run from the ones he had been making earlier.
Çalhanoğlu slipped the ball into Džeko's path. Previously, those were the kinds of passes he had only played for Lautaro. But with Konaté caught off guard, Džeko reached the ball first and immediately fired a shot!
Alisson just managed to get down and make the save, but the loose ball kept rolling inside the box!
Van Dijk reacted with an extremely clever piece of defending, using his ankle to shield the ball before knocking it to Robertson. Robertson then moved it back inside to Leo!
Leo received the pass and immediately laid it back to Mac Allister, forcing Brozović to shift his attention toward him. Mac Allister then played it sideways to Rodri, who returned the ball to Leo.
That three-man passing sequence in midfield gave Leo the opening he needed to attack!
Dimarco stayed tight to Gvardiol, determined not to let him get into Inter's penalty area again. This time, however, Leo chose to drive forward himself.
Up against the defensively formidable Vidal, Leo kept the ball on the outside of his right foot, controlling it in a way that made it almost impossible for Vidal to poke it away.
Nearly every Inter player was chasing Leo. Vidal still couldn't win the ball, but he stayed glued to Leo's left side, repeatedly sticking out a foot and waiting for any chance to stop him from shooting.
Then Leo cut the ball again. He stepped his left foot forward to get his body between Vidal and the ball, then used his right foot to drag the ball across from behind him!
Vidal hadn't expected the move. Just as he tried to close Leo down, Leo's left leg blocked his path. Vidal drove forward with both legs, yet he still couldn't dislodge Leo, who held him off while planted on just one!
Leo immediately adjusted his body. Using his left foot to generate momentum for the turn, he planted his right foot again and used the motion to swing his left leg through for the shot!
The cutback, turn, and shot flowed together without the slightest pause!
But Handanović responded with a save worthy of UEFA Champions League history.
"Handanović saves Leo's shot!"
"It wasn't just the speed of his reaction. Even while reacting that quickly, he somehow managed to get the palm of his left hand onto the ball and push it away!"
"If Handanović's hand had been even slightly out of position, that ball could have gone straight in!"
"And if his save had been even a fraction slower, it could have gone straight in as well!"
"Vidal defended that very well too. He couldn't win the ball, but considering he was up against Leo, that's understandable."
"More importantly, Vidal kept using his body to prevent Leo from shooting. His defensive ability really is outstanding. Dimarco also completely shut down Gvardiol's attacking route!"
"The players on both sides are performing at the highest level of the UEFA Champions League!"
After that, Inter devoted everything to stopping Leo, with Vidal and Brozović doing all they could to contain his attacks.
Vidal even picked up a yellow card for his efforts, but Inter ultimately prevented Liverpool from scoring again on their home ground.
At the other end, Mac Allister's introduction also helped Liverpool shut down Inter's attack. The first leg ended 2-1 to Liverpool!
"Inter Milan lose the first leg 2-1 to Liverpool, but who advances will only be decided in the second leg!"
Winning 2-1 away to Inter was undoubtedly an excellent result for Liverpool.
But Klopp wasn't smiling.
Neither were Krawietz or Zubizarreta.
Because soon, the three of them would announce something in a video that would shock every Liverpool fan.
Even Leo could hardly believe it.
The outstanding coaches who had been by his side throughout the past several seasons were actually leaving.